The 6th & Main Viaduct from Street Level
Alan Weeks Photo, Alan Weeks Collection
A rare street-level view of the 6th & Main Street Station viaduct captured from street level, and featuring the “MTA Depot” sign. The image is dated July 20, 1963.
Alan Weeks Photo, Alan Weeks Collection
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I have to say, this picture is mis-labeled. After almost an hour of work, I have determined that this picture is actually on LOS ANGELES street looking southwest across the intersection with 6th street. Look at this link, and you will see the same perspective today: https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=34.044641,-118.248961&spn=0.000009,0.00361&t=m&z=18&layer=c&cbll=34.04462,-118.249031&panoid=VsP0gcbV2Yv-WX_NlbVHTQ&cbp=12,227.53,,0,12.84
Note especially the odd pattern of windows on the white building in the upper left. Also, note that Main street is as narrow as 6th Street here; only Los Angeles St. is wide enough to be the street running away from the camera. If you look at the picture that shows the viaduct running away from the Pacific Electric Building and towards the camera, you can clearly see the Cecil Hotel to its southeast, where it remains today.
Actually I think we’re into semantics here.
The address of the PE Building is 610 S. Main St, which is where I was hired by the Southern Pacific on Feb 24, 1966.
The picture is LABELED “The 6th and Main St Station viaduct,” which it is, it doesn’t say 6th and Main St, which it isn’t.
There are lots of pictures here of 6th and Main St, where the tracks were at street level, and the street, sidewalk, and entrance to the parking garage which is the original alignment, are still on the grade of the tracks. There is no curb or gutter in front of the former rail entrance to the building.
The American Architect for November 11th 1908 has very early views including roof and interior shots. More amazingly, a rare view from the Los Angeles & 6th angle showing a completely different perspective from what we normally find. They are still working on the large building across to the west side of Main, and everything on the block north of sixth is one-story shops. A small structure sits adjacent south of the terminal (not a through station yet). And the east side block probably remains untouched at that time. The views have been posted on a blog related to the architects.